Love's Memories
by FaerieTales4ever
Summary: AU after "Manhattan" Rumple comes home after healing himself with the magic candle. Henry and Neal take care of him, and Henry comes up with a plan to help Belle regain her memories. #Rumbelle #GrandpaStiltskin bonding COMPLETE


**A/N: One shot written for Snapegirlkmf :) Thanks to Charlotte Ashmore for all her help! Enjoy!**

**Summary: AU after "Manhattan" Rumple comes home after healing himself with the magic candle. Henry and Neal take care of him, and Henry comes up with a plan to help Belle regain her memories. #Rumbelle #GrandpaStiltskin bonding **

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time and all character's and familiar dialogue from the show belong to Disney/ABC and the show's brilliant creators and writers. No profit is being made from this just having fun with my favorite show. **

**Love's Memories**

Henry stood on the stone porch steps to the ornately decorated stain glass door that was the entrance to his grandfather's salmon (anyone who called it the blush color it really was would get an earful from the powerful pawnbroker) pink Victorian, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as Emma once again settled a firm, cautious hand on his shoulder _just _before he could inch away from her and into the house.

"Are you _sure _you want to do this, kid?" she asked for the umpteenth time. Her anxious emerald eyes repeatedly searched the street, one hand perched precariously on the hilt of her gun. Regina was still on the warpath after she'd been so severely tricked by Mary Margaret into trading Cora's life for Rumpelstiltskin's. Neal banged into the table in the foyer as Gold lost his footing and overbalanced. Emma winced. "'Cause you really don't have to, y'know. It's a lot of responsibility to put on a kid your age. We can always get someone else to…"

"_Mom,_" her son heaved an exasperated sigh and spun on the rubber soles of his Nike Converse, fixing her with an annoyed stare as he tried for what he hoped was the last time that afternoon to convince her that, contrary to what everyone seemed to think, Rumplestiltskin _was not _out to harm him, and taking care of a sick grandparent was _not _as difficult as they were making it out to be. Even if that grandparent happened to be a stubborn, temperamental, all-powerful sorcerer. "I'm going to be _fine. _It's just for a few days until Jeanette comes back from her maternity leave. Besides, I won't be alone. Dad's staying too. What's the worst that could happen?"

Emma's protective gaze searched his. In the back of her mind she knew there were _a lot _of things that could go wrong. Especially with the added bonus of having her ex- whatever Neal had been to her- around to muck things up between her and Henry. In fact, when she had first heard that Neal would be the one looking after Gold while Belle was out of commission, she hadn't wanted Henry to come over at all. Seeing Neal again had sent her fragile, protected heart reeling, and her son wanting to bond with his father wasn't helping matters in the slightest. She'd been fully prepared to deny his request….until he fixed her with stage four puppy dog eyes, including a butch lip. She'd nearly lost him once for lying about Neal's true identity; denying him from seeing his father would in no way help her regain his trust. Still, leaving him there alone with the two Stiltskin men who were clearly on uncertain terms made her stomach churn in anxiousness. "Are you _sure_?" she repeated, her gaze imploring him to change his mind, "We can always get Mary Margaret to come..."

This time, Henry didn't resist the temptation to roll his eyes,"_Mom_!" he huffed, "Grams think's Rumple's evil remember?"

Emma sighed, knowing any further argument was fruitless. This was happening, whether she liked it or not. "Fine," she grumbled reluctantly relenting, and Henry grinned.

"Come in for a few?" Henry coaxed and Emma winced at the idea.

"I...I don't think so, kid…" Just then a large crash rang through the house, and mother

and son scrambled inside the victorian.

"Shit," Gold murmured when they found him sprawled on the floor and cradling his injured leg next to the overturned coffee table as Neal tried to help him up.

"You alright, Papa?"

"What happened, Gramps?" Henry asked, concern and confusion clouding his features.

"I'm fine, lad," the pawnbroker managed through clenched teeth, "Damn anklegave out when I tried to step over the leg of that coffee table."

"Need help?" he asked, making his way over to to his grandfather's other side and helping him up the rest of the way.

Emma pushed the ottoman over for him to prop his leg on as they helped him sit carefully on the plush pink sofa. Henry stood back in the archway that led from the living room into the kitchen and rubbed his stomach, wishing he'd had more of an appetite when he was with Ruby, but he'd been too worried at the time to think about food. Now he was starving and he wondered if maybe he could find something in the kitchen. There was no way he was going to get in the way of his parents helping Gold get settled.

Henry meandered into the ornate kitchen and opened the oversized pantry, only to discover it was surprisingly bare. He then tried the fridge, but to his dismay, that too, was empty.

"Gramps, what happened to all your food?"

Gold cringed as he recalled the barren kitchen. "Uh, sorry lad. Jeanette always did the shopping and cooking…and then...Belle did... before…"

Henry frowned at the hurt and longing obvious in his grandfather's voice when he mentioned his True Love. Henry knew he missed her, and only wished there was some way to bring her back...to help her remember who she really was. True Love broke all curses, so why not this one? If he could only get her home again...

Suddenly, Henry had an idea. He abandoned his still growling stomach and scrambled to where he left his backpack in the foyer of the large house. Sifting through old papers and crumpled folders, he pulled out his treasured Once Upon a Time book."Perfect." he beamed. It had helped Emma believe enough to defeat Maleficent and break Regina's curse, so why couldn't it help Belle too?

"Dad, I'm starving and Gramps has Old Mother Hubbard's cupboards. Can't you go to Granny's and get some burgers or over to Tony's and grab a couple pies? I'm in need of some serious nourishment and I'm sure Gramps is hungry too," he whined, that age old tone that was sure to get him exactly what he wanted. He shot a pleading look at his grandfather. "Couldn't you eat, Gramps?"

Rumple laughed, not any more immune to Henry's pleading pitiful looks than he had been to Bae's when he was that age, "Sure Henry, I could do for some pizza."

"Yes!" the boy hollered as he came back into the room with his fairytale book and threw his arms around his grandfather.

Neal chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Alright, tiger, pizza it is. You want anything Em?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind a couple of sliced of pepperoni and mushroom," she grudgingly accepted.

Neal smiled,"Alright, now what do you two conspirators want?" he joked, gesturing to his father and son.

"Belle always got us one with everything. . . well, everything except anchovies," Gold said glumly. Henry and Neal exchanged a troubled glance and watched Gold as he rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes briefly, shoving away the painful thoughts of his beloved. "And while you're gone, I think I'm going to go take a shower."

"Papa, you really shouldn't try climbing the stairs in your weakened condition," Neal protested.

"And I'm not staying in these blood-stained clothes, Baelfire. Now you run along and get dinner for my grandson. We'll be just fine until you get back," Gold said, his pointed look brooking no objection. "Don't worry, son, I'll use the downstairs bathroom and won't have to traverse the stairs. Is that agreeable to you?" he asked when Neal make no move to leave.

"And I can get whatever he might need from upstairs," Henry piped in.

Neal shoved his hands deep in his pockets and rocked back onto his heels, his eyes narrowed on his stubborn father. "Papa, are you sure you're alright? You were just stabbed, poisoned and almost died."

Emma snorted. "Apparently it's been quite a while since you've had to deal with your father's stubbornness. If he says he's alright, believe him."

Gold arched a brow at his son and held out his hand to Henry. "Be a good lad and hand me my cane, Henry," he said, rising unsteadily to his feet. He gave Neal his back as he made his way from the room and down the hallway to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. Neal rolled his eyes and nodded to Emma as he turned and left by way of the front door with directions to the nearest pizza parlor and a mental list of what everyone wanted.

Henry glanced over his shoulder, first one way to make sure his father was safely out of the door, and then the other to assure himself that his grandfather wouldn't be limping back into the living room anytime soon. "Mom, I'm really worried about Gramps," he said, keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard.

Emma rolled her eyes and picked up the remote for the flat screen TV from the end table next to the sofa. "Gold has been taking care of himself for longer than any of us have been alive, kid. I'm sure this time will be no different," she said, flicking through the channels on the satellite box.

Henry sat down on the coffee table, sure to get a scolding if his grandfather should catch him, but finding that gaining his mother's attention was more important. "You don't understand. Gramps is not going to get better."

"What?! Of course he is," Emma scoffed.

He shook his head. "No, Mom, physically he might get better, but the depression he's suffering isn't good for him. He just found my dad and you see how tense things are between them, you hate him-"

"Do not!"

Henry gave her a skeptical look and she shrank back against the sofa cushions with a grimace. "He was very nearly killed by an insane pirate captain holding a grudge, his former lover wanted to control him and when she saw that was going to fail decided she too wanted to kill him so she could take his power. And it can't be easy finding out that I'm his grandson...a grandson whose adoptive mother is the Evil Queen."

"I'd have to say as far as bad week's go, this one's got to take the taco." Emma's brows drew together, unsettled by the guilt weighing heavily on her chest. How was she supposed to know her former lover was the son of the infamous Rumpelstiltskin. He was a myth, a legend, a fairytale for gods sake! "It's not up to me to be his therapist, Henry. Let him go see Archie if he needs his head shrunk."

"I'm not saying that an hour or two on Archie's couch wouldn't do Gramps a world of good, but I don't think that's what he needs right now," Henry said adamantly.

"I think _you've_ been spending too much time on Archie's couch if you think you're confident enough to psychoanalyze Gold," she scoffed.

"Mom, Gramps needs Belle."

"Belle?! Belle is in the hospital under heavy sedation because she can't remember who she is and is unable to deal with the stress. It's not like I can just go pick her up and bring her over for dinner with your grandfather."

Henry's face lit up like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. "But don't you see, Mom, _you_ can. You're the sheriff. You can go in and say you need to bring her down to the station to identify the man who shot her or any number of excuses you could come up with," he said, excitement making his voice take on a shrill tone.

"Henry," Emma whined, feeling herself beginning to cave under the influence of her son's pleading. "There is so much that could go wrong. What if I bring her here and she completely freaks out or something."

Henry reached out and took his mother's hands in his smaller ones. "Mom, what if you could help her remember Gramps?"

"And just how the hell am I supposed to do that?" she asked incredulously.

"Just by getting her here. Remember when I wanted Grandma to read to Grandpa in the hospital when he was in a coma?"

"Yeah," she bit out hesitantly, thinking she knew where he was going with this. "But it didn't help him regain his memories."

"No...but it woke him up."

"Henry…"

"Mom, just get her here. We can have pizza and talk and...I have a plan, I just need you to do your part," he said, his dark sable eyes pleading and hopeful.

"This has epic fail written on it in flashing neon letters, kid," she said, putting in a last ditch effort to change his mind.

"And you just don't have enough faith."

* * *

Emma sighed as she reluctantly made her way to the main entrance of Storybrooke General Hospital. She couldn't believe she'd let Henry actually talk her into this. She wanted to blame it on her son's irresistibly adorable puppy dog eyes. But though it was true that she melted into a puddle of mush whenever he sicked them on her, deep down the blonde knew that wasn't fully the reason she'd agreed to this crazy plan. Much as she hated to admit it, she was worried for Gold too. Ever since Belle had been shot, he hadn't been himself. Back in the pawnshop, when he called to give Belle what he thought would be his last goodbye, Emma couldn't help her own eyes from welling up with tears at his heartfelt confession. It was then that she saw why Belle had loved him so; and why Henry had so much faith and respect for him. Rumpelstiltskin had once been known as the darkest dealer in all of the Enchanted Forest; but Emma knew now that there was so much more to him than that. He was a brave man who would go to any length to protect those he loved; even giving his life if it came down to it. Now he was alive, and it was their turn to repay him. Emma squared her shoulders and steeled her features as she inched closer to the reception desk in the trauma wing of the hospital, determined to do whatever she could to help the old pawnbroker, despite any hard feelings and mistrust she still had for him and his son.

_It's a good thing I'm sheriff,_ she mused ruefully as she moved to get the attention of the nurse behind the desk, _because otherwise I'd be thrown straight in the slammer for what I'm about to do. _"Excuse me," she said loudly.

The redhead behind the desk looked up with a bored expression and condescending gaze. Emma bit back a laugh as she realized how much the woman resembled Nurse Ratched, a sour woman who worked in a psychiatric hospital in the book _One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest_, which Emma remembered having to read in school. "May I help you?" she deadpanned, taking no notice to how Emma's eyebrow perched in askance at the resemblance her voice had to how she'd always imagined the gruff nurse from the book sounding.

"Um, yes. I'd like to request the temporary release of Belle Gold from now until…" she glanced at her watch. If it was five now, maybe she could get Belle out for… "nine o'clock this evening," she finished with more confidence than she really possessed, crossing her fingers behind her back that four hours was enough time for Henry to do whatever he was planning to try and bring her memories back.

Nurse "Rachid" scoffed as if that was the most preposterous request she'd ever heard, "And why would I do that?"

"I need to take her down to the station," Emma replied smoothly, remembering her son's advice, "We're still trying to catch the guy who shot her, and I need to question her again to see how much she remembers." When the nurse merely pursed her lips and smirked at her, Emma fixed her with a steely glare adding, "And because, if you don't, I'll tell Mr. Gold that _you _were the one who drugged his wife for the past 28 years and caused her to hallucinate and forget herself, despite the fail safe he built in the curse for her to retain her true identity," she threatened icily, remembering what Gold had told her about Belle's experience in the asylum not long after the shooting.

The red-head narrowed her eyes at Emma, "You can't prove anything."

"I won't need to," Emma shot back, "You know as well as I do that Gold has access to all the records in town. How hard do you really think it would be to access his _wife's _medical care records?"

"You wouldn't dare," she denied, challenging her.

Emma raised an eyebrow and locked her green eyes on the nurse's brown, fixing her with a penetrating stare, "Wouldn't I?" she asked, "Are you sure you're willing to risk that bet? Because you know how...protective...he can be of his family. Even injured, his magic is still _pretty_ powerful. Though I admit...I'd love to see that pale face of yours with a little color...and black and blue go so well with red."

The nurse gulped audibly before begrudgingly reaching down to press the intercom, "Isabelle, bring Lacey down. The _sheriff_ is here to see her."

"Good choice." Emma retorted.

The nurse scowled, but said nothing.

"Emma?" queried Belle's tentative voice a few minutes later as she emerged from the elevator, clad in a simple white t shirt and black sweatpants, "What's going on? Did you catch the man who shot me?"

"Not yet, but soon."

"Then what…? It's about that man isn't it? The one who keeps coming to see me? Mr. Garnet?"

"Gold," she corrected gently, "I just need you to come to the station with me. It's nothing bad, I promise. For now...can you please just...trust me?" she asked, her eyes pleading as she held her hand out and glanced between Belle and the receptionist, hoping the brunette would get the message, _Not here,_ her eyes signaled, _in the car_.

Belle slipped into the sheriff's parka Emma had brought along with her to protect her against the cold and hugged it to her as Emma led her through the lobby and out into the parking lot. She turned to the blonde sheriff with a puzzled frown as she fastened her seatbelt in the front passenger seat of the yellow bug. "Emma, what's this about? And why didn't you want to explain inside? Is this about the phone call I received this afternoon?" Tears welled up in her luminous blue orbs, unable to hold them back. "Is he...is he?" she asked, unable to finish.

Emma grasped the young woman's hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "No, no, Belle, no. Your husband is still alive and is recovering from the poison that nearly killed him," Emma said gently.

Belle ducked her head to hide the conflicting emotions so evident in her eyes. She'd cried for hours after that phone call when she thought it was the last time she'd ever speak to him. But why? She couldn't remember him, couldn't remember who he was, who they were together, yet she felt as though her heart were breaking at the thought of never seeing him again. Why? That one word echoed through her head to the point where it would surely drive her mad. Yet wasn't it him that was clearly insane with his insistence that magic was real? But if it wasn't, how had he healed her so thoroughly after she'd been shot? He was so intense he frightened her and how could she have loved someone enough to marry him if she feared him? Why couldn't she remember her own husband?

"Hey, you ok?" Emma asked worriedly, her voice snapping Belle out of her reverie.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad he's ok. Did you catch the person responsible?"

Emma huffed out a sigh and turned the key in the ignition, pulling out of the parking lot and turning in the direction of the pink victorian instead of towards the station. "Actually, the guy who did this is the same guy that shot you and no, we have yet to apprehend him. But that's not the reason I liberated you from the hospital."

"It's not?" Belle asked warily, feeling the icy hand of dread clench tightly around her heart.

"My son, Henry, he...ah...he has an idea to help you regain your memories," she began, keeping her eyes on the road to keep from seeing the betrayal in the other woman's eyes. "We seem to think if you could spend a few hours at home, around familiar things, that it could help to jog your memory."

"Familiar? As in the house I shared with Gold?" Belle asked, her eyes widening fearfully. The breath hitched in her throat at the thought of being trapped in a confined space with him, but she forced it down.

"You won't be alone, Belle, I promise. I will be with you the entire time. Neal and Henry and I will be with you, so...ah...don't freak out ok? You trust me, don't you?" Emma asked, finally glancing over at her. She tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. "Hey, we'll have pizza, some small talk, everything will be fine. And I know how much you love books. Henry has this storybook that he believes you'll adore. He already has a story picked out to read to you."

Belle found herself smiling at the thought of the sheriff's son wanting to read to her. "Have I met him? Henry?"

"He used to spend a good deal of time with you at the library, trying to help you get it in shape for the grand re-opening. He cares very much for you, Belle."

Belle felt some of the tension release from her shoulders and she relaxed back into the seat. She would be with people who cared for her apparently, she just had to trust that they wouldn't leave her alone with the man who called himself her husband..

* * *

Neal carried the three large pizzas into the kitchen and set them on the center island, the black marble countertops gleaming in the dim light. "Hey, tiger, carry your butt in here and grab some plates. Papa, you want to try a slice of the hawaiian?" he called out into the living room.

Gold wrinkled his nose and continued to surf through the channels until he found a program on antiques. "Indeed not. There is just something so wrong about fruit on a pizza."

"You sure, Gramps?" Henry asked, placing a slice of the pepperoni and mushroom as well as a slice with the works onto his grandfather's plate and carrying it into the living room. "It's extra cheesy with all that yummy canadian bacon."

"I'm certain you won't have any problems polishing off my portion," he drawled in a dry tone.

Henry grimaced slightly at the note of aggravation in his grandfather's voice, but tried to shrug it off. He went and filled his own plate with the fruity pizza- his personal favorite- and crossed back into the family room to occupy a chair next to Rumple. Neal swiped the remote from his father and found a football game on ESPN. They ate for the first few minutes in silence, the only sound in the room the static blare of the forty-two inch flat screen as the Patriots were slowly being creamed by the opposing team. Usually the pawnbroker would be shouting profanities right about now, claiming that even _he _could referee better than the current buffoons that held the job now, but as it was, he just gazed listlessly at the T.V. only grunting occasionally if a player made an extremely boneheaded move or missed an especially easy catch. Henry shared a distressed glance with his father; this was worse than he thought.

_I sure hope Emma gets here soon, _he thought. He hated seeing his grandfather upset. No sooner had he had the thought though, his ears perked up at the sound of the front door lock clicking,

"I'm back," Emma called and a slow smile lit Henry's face. He put down his plate and went to greet them at the door.

"Hey Ma. Did you bring-" he asked before he fully rounded the corner and saw her helping Belle hang up the now chilled parka.

"Henry?" Belle asked, turning toward the unfamiliar voice and knitting her brows in confusion. Her eyes were still wide, and Emma watched her carefully, hoping the multitude of "new" surroundings wouldn't overwhelm her. "Are...are you Henry?" she asked again, now stopping to properly look at the little boy.

"Hi Belle," Henry smiled, waving shyly. "You hungry? My dad just got back from Tony's with three delicious pies."

Belle glanced hesitantly at Emma who was wearing a cautious smile. "Um...I wouldn't want to impose. I…"

"Henry who are you talking to? Is your mother back?" Gold called from the family room. Belle tensed and then forced herself to relax. He wouldn't hurt her and she had to get over the insane notion that he would. She didn't have to stay, could leave anytime she wanted and have Emma bring her back to the hospital. She had to get this irrational fear to leave her and spending an evening in her former home, with her husband and family should go a long way in putting them to rest.

Henry cast her an encouraging smile and held out his hand for her to take, tugging her forward gently down the hall and into the family room. "Come on, tiger, your pizza's getting cold," he heard his father call. He let Emma precede them into the room and take a seat before he urged Belle to follow.

Gold's slice of pizza slipped from his numb fingers to land sloppily in a mass of melted cheese and toppings on his plate as his stunned sable eyes turned to see his beloved standing in the archway between the kitchen and family room. "Have a seat, Belle, and I'll grab you a slice of pizza. What kind do you want?"

Belle wrung her fingers together nervously, unsure. "I don't really know. I...um…"

"She likes the one with everything and then she'll sit there and pick off the green peppers because she like the taste the peppers leave but not the actual peppers," Gold said in a quiet tone, hoping that he wouldn't frighten her away. Belle tilted her head to the side and met his gaze, flushing slightly at the warmth she found there. Emma took the plate Neal had prepared for her and scooted to the far end of the love seat she shared with him to watch the way this would play out. That left a good portion of the sofa next to Gold open for Belle. "You look better, sweetheart," Gold said as she sat next to him and wrapped her arm about her middle. The severe case of nerves she was suffering was rather unsettling, especially since she couldn't seem to identify the cause of it.

"Thank you," she murmured, trying to find her voice. "I feel a bit better. I'm glad to see that you aren't...well…"

"Dead?"

Neal winced, Emma groaned and Henry swooped back into the room with a plate for Belle. "You haven't met my dad yet, Belle. This is Neal Cassidy and he's also your stepson."

"Henry!" Emma scolded, facepalming herself. "You have the delicacy of a falling anvil."

Neal cast her a jaunty wave and a devil may care grin from across the coffee table. "Hi, nice to meet you." He leaned over and whispered in Emma's ear, "I thought she had amnesia."

"She does," Emma whispered back. "This is all Henry's idea, so whatever happens, just try not to freak out, ok?"

Belle did indeed pick her peppers off her pizza slice until they were stacked neatly to one side. Only then did she pick up the slice and take a bite, noticing the small secretive smile that toyed at the corners of her husband's mouth. The beauty of that smile took her breath away and she couldn't seem to look away. "T-Thank you...for inviting me to dinner. I really am happy that you're feeling better."

Gold's smile widened and he reached for her hand which rested on the sofa between them, gently brushing his fingertip over hers. "I'm happy you're here, my darling Belle. I'm sorry if I frightened you with that phone call."

Belle closed her eyes, feeling a familiar twinge at the back of her mind, but it was fleeting and deserted her before she could contemplate it further. His touch on her hand was warm and comforting, that too familiar and she couldn't bring herself to pull away. If it made the smile remain on his face which had her so entranced, she wouldn't retreat from him. Neal shared a puzzled glance with his son, who just smiled, encouraged by the progress between his grandparents, and he hadn't even taken his book out yet.

Emma gathered up the discarded plates, cups and napkins and took everything into the kitchen to stack into the dishwasher while Henry settled into the armchair next to his grandfather and opened his book. Neal groaned seeing that he would have to turn the game off in favor of storytime. "What's with the story, Henry?" he asked, unable to imagine that his father and his amnesiac wife would enjoy a book of fairy tales.

Henry shrugged absently, his gaze focused on the book. "I just wanted to share this with Belle. It's one of the reasons I wanted her to come to dinner. I'm sure she misses her books stuck in that hospital room all day," he said evasively.

Gold's eyes narrowed on his grandson suspiciously. "Yes, I would imagine so," he murmured, rubbing his stubbled chin with the hand that wasting resting over his wife's warm digits. "And I suppose the tale you wish to share with us is...Beauty and the Beast?"

Henry released a nervous giggle and ignored the blush that rose in his cheeks. "You don't mind, do you, Gramps?"

A sly smirk curved Gold's thin lips as he caught on to what the boy was trying to do. "Of course not, no, lad." He waved his hand, encouraging Henry to begin. "Please, whenever you're ready."

"Seriously, tiger, you're going to make us listen to a fairy tale?" Neal asked incredulously. His son was what...eleven now? Wasn't he a bit old for fairy tales?

"Baelfire," Gold said warningly.

Emma grinned with malicious glee to see her former love being scolded by his father.

Belle cast wary glances between the members of her family, able to feel the undercurrent of something she didn't feel quite comfortable with...almost as if they were trying to hide something from her. "Well, since my memory is all but non existent, I'm looking forward to the story, Henry," she said with a warm smile.

Henry grinned in return and plopped down next his grandfather, setting his precious book on his lap and turning it towards him so only he could see the pages. Emma watched him curiously, noticing the mischievous glint in his eye as he cleared his throat and began to speak and she wondered what he was up to. "Once upon a time…" he began, and Gold chuckled ruefully at the cliche opening and his grandson winked, "in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and…"

As his grandson continued to talk, Rumple became more and more perplexed; this wasn't his story! Not even close! "Who's tale are you telling, lad?!" he asked, narrowing his eyes at a triumphantly smirking Henry, "I do NOT remember a prince in this story."

Henry bit his lip and tried to bite back the laugh bubbling in his chest, "Just wait, Gramps," he smiled, hoping the pawnbroker would catch on sooner rather than later. "The old woman offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress…"

"Ok stop!" Gold huffed again, now becoming increasingly irritated, "What have you been drinking, lad, a potion made solely of Forget-Me-Nots? You _know _that's not what happened!"

Henry smirked behind his hand and Emma raised a precarious eyebrow. "It's not?" he asked, feigning innocence. Neal looked between his family members, completely lost, never having heard his father's story before either. He let them continue arguing between themselves while he got up and went in the kitchen for another beer.

His grandfather eyed him suspiciously, "What are you playing at Henry Mills?" he queried.

Belle sat forward and laid her hand atop her husband's, "What do you mean? I think this sounds like the beginnings of a wonderful story."

Rumple sighed, "It is, dearie, but it's also completely inaccurate."

Belle laughed, the tinkling sound of genuine laughter coming from her lips sending a pleasant shiver down Gold's spine. "It's a fairy tale. Is there really a perfect telling? There are many interpretations."

"Not in this case," Gold mumbled.

"Then why don't you tell it Gramps?" Henry suggested, his smile widening.

The pawnbroker's eyes slitted smaller as his gaze held his grandson's. That boy was up to something, of that much he was sure. Now he just had to find out what. He retrieved his cane from beside the chair's armrest and gently pushed away from the soft fabric, taking care to be extra mindful of his lame leg. He had already lost his footing once today, he had no desire to do so again...especially in front of Belle. He pointed to the far side of the room and ordered, "Henry, kitchen. Now."

Neal glanced back and forth between Emma and his son as they both hid their laughter when he got up to obediently follow his grandfather into the next room.

"Well, that was...odd…" Gold heard Belle chuckle as he shut the door behind him, "Does he do that often?"

Rumple laughed. Oh how nice it was to hear his wife's sweet voice and have her once again safely inside their home. _And hopefully soon, _he mused, turning his attention to his scheming grandson, _she shall have her memories returned as well. _"Alright lad, what's going on in there?" he questioned, throwing a thumb in the direction of the family room. "That babble you just rambled on about was in NO WAY our story nor will it help Belle remember who she truly is. What game are you playing, Henry? Because I can assure you, I am _not _having fun."

"Gramps, I'm just trying to help. She needs to hear the story from you, but not. It's just...can't you play along?" he asked, having trouble making himself understood to his formidable grandfather.

"And what exactly am I playing along to? Whether I tell it or you, Henry, she'll still think it's a fairytale," he finished sadly.

Henry let out a frustrated breath, "But she won't. Not if you tell it. Don't you _see_? she _remembers _you. I see it in the way she looks at you and how she smiles when you touch her. She just doesn't know that she remembers you. Just follow along with me and fill in the blanks and maybe it will help her fill in a few as well. She _needs_ to remember, Gramps. And True Love is the only thing that breaks all curses. Only _you _can bring her memories back. Your voice, your details, your memories. You once told me that True Love's souls are linked for all eternity, even in death. So if _you _remember, maybe she will too."

"Why is this so important to you?" he asked, seeing so much of his son in the boy before him.

"Because I love you, Gramps," he said simply, squeezing the older man's hand affectionately, "And you love Belle. You two deserve a chance to be happy. _Together. _

His grandfather smiled and blinked his rapidly moistening eyes, "I love you too, lad," he whispered hoarsely as he pulled him into a tight hug. "Alright Henry, I'll try. For you...and for Belle."

"And it will also give dad a chance to hear your story. Maybe it will make his bitterness lighten up...just a bit?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Perhaps, lad. Miracles do happen upon occasion."

Gold scrubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath, a sly smirk settling on his lips, the pawnbroker's mask firmly back in place as he opened the door between the kitchen and family room to resume his place next to his wife on the sofa. Henry followed, winking at his mother, who groaned audibly, before sitting back down and placing the book once again on his lap. Belle smiled tenuously as Gold sat beside her.

"Everything all right?"

He covered her hand with his and returned her smile. "Just fine, sweetheart."

Henry cleared his throat and began reading again. "The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there."

Neal leaned over and propped his chin on Emma's shoulder, whispering in her ear, "If this is papa's story, he was a beast looooong before he met Belle."

Emma elbowed him in the chest and shushed him. "Pay attention."

"I distinctly remember there being ogres, Henry," Gold said quietly, willing to play along

with the boy. "There was a rampaging horde of ogres that descended on the kingdom of Avonlea and the beauty's father called upon the beast, also known as the Dark One, to come and rid them of the plague."

"Ogres?" Belle asked, her brows creased with a puzzled frown. "I don't think I've ever heard a telling of this tale where the beauty was running from ogres."

Henry looked up from his book, a patient smile on his face. "Nope, no ogres, Gramps."

"There were ogres," Gold insisted. "And a snotty lumbering lummox of a fiance that protested quite strongly when the beast asked for the beauty as his price."

"He asked for _her_ as his price?" Belle questioned. "What an imagination you have."

"Ashamed of his monstrous form," Henry read, "the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world…"

Belle leaned closer to Gold and lowered her voice so as not to interrupt Henry. "Why would he want the beauty as his price?"

Gold shivered as her warm breath fanned his ear. How long had it been since she'd willingly placed herself so close to him? "He...ah...he wanted a caretaker for his estate."

_I think you were lonely...any man would be…_

_I'm not a man…_

Belle shook her head, the pressure building behind her eyes forcing the fleeting thought from her mind. She turned back to Henry, frowning as she tried to recall more of the jaded memory.

"The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

"The rose didn't come until later, lad. And it's enchantment...we'll get to that in a minute," he glossed over that little detail and stifled a laugh, realizing this would be the first time Belle learned the true fate of her pompous fiancée, "You're forgetting about the curtains? That's the moment when he realized he was losing his heart to her."

"Curtains?" Belle asked.

"Yes, dearie. The beauty, so full of life and love, wanted to bring light into the dreary darkness of the castle as it was almost springtime. While the beast sat at his spinning wheel, whiling away yet another afternoon lost in his morbid thoughts, she dragged a ladder into the Great Hall and set about trying to open the curtains…but they weren't so easy to remove."

Belle grinned sweetly. "What did he do, nail them down?"

Gold's eyes flared slightly at her innocent remark and Henry nearly swallowed his tongue. Neal snorted, remembering the time when he was nearly eight and his father had nailed the curtains down in the cottage they shared. He never had been fond of having the sunlight filtering in through the curtains when he was trying to sleep.

"Er...yes...actually," Gold let out nervous laugh that turned into a slight cough, "That's...ahem...exactly what he did, dearie."

Belle raised an eyebrow and snorted in surprise, "Why would anyone want to nail down _curtains_?" she laughed incredulously.

Neal took a sip from the bottle in his hand and smiled innocently. "With a name like the Dark One is there any doubt that he likes the darkness?"

Emma glared at him.

"The Dark One? I thought he was called a beast?"

"He was," intoned Rumple sadly, "along with many other names."

"But why?" Belle asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Because of his curse, sweetheart. It was not from an enchantress, but a dagger. And it was not placed upon him. He took it of his own free will."

"He did?"

"He did. He was a desperate man, Belle. He took the curse to protect his son, a young boy named Baelfire, and all the other children who were being sentenced to death in the endless Orge Wars."

Belle's sapphire eyes sparkled with sympathy, "That was very brave...What...what happened to him? Did he save his son?"

Henry smiled at his grandparents interaction and abruptly closed the book, knowing his grandfather could take it from here. Belle no longer had eyes for anyone else in the room, so absorbed in her husband's tale everything else melted away. "Yes, he saved him only to lose him."

She gasped, her hand tightening over his where they were joined on the sofa between them. "No, what happened?"

"The dagger brought the spinner untold power, sweetheart, but it also brought a great darkness that turned him away from the light. His soul darkened and he hurt people, something he never would have done before he was cursed. The power was more than what he'd ever dreamed and it corrupted him. His son could see this and asked him...more than once to try to break the curse. Baelfire made a deal with him to give up the power if he could find a way to do it without taking his life. Bae called for help from the Blue Fairy and she gave him a magic bean that would open a portal to a realm where the spinner would no longer be able to wield his dark magic. But when it came time to go into the portal, the spinner was frightened and let his son slip away from him. He never regretted anything more." Gold reached up and brushed a stray tear from Belle's cheek.

Her voice was raspy with emotion as she asked, "Did he ever find his son?"

"It took many, many years, but yes...finally, he found him. He dedicated his life to finding his child and he went down many dark paths, nothing more important than finding his boy."

"Wow.." Belle murmured, gazing at her husband, and unknown spinner and beast, in awe.

"But the dark paths he took were long and treacherous, and led to a very isolated existence. That's the one thing Henry did get right in his book. The beast was lonely and craved human companionship…"

"That's why he made the deal for the beauty, right?" Neal asked, and Gold smiled.

"Yes that's right. Although he never could admit it at the time. But the beauty knew, somehow, someway, she grew to know him better than he knew himself. She loved him. So much that she almost broke his curse once..."

"Almost?"

"Yes, almost. But the beast was too foolish to see her love for what it truly was. He couldn't accept her love, couldn't believe that it was true. He believed it to be a trick, a way to slay the beast and be a hero. He banished her from the castle, and by the time he came to his senses and wished to go after her, and adversary of his told him she had died a tragic death, and he fell into despair."

Belle gasped, "Did she?"

"No," Rumple shook his head furiously and squeezed his beloved's hand, "They were both alive and well, but it was many years before they found their way back to one another. And even when they were together, he never stopped regretting the day he let her go." The former spinner stared pleadingly at Belle.

Before she could make sense of what she was saying, a strange sentiment formed on her lips as another snippet of memory revealed itself. "I would never leave a man as brave as you...Rumplestiltskin." And then, as if someone else was inhabiting her body for that one moment, she impulsively leaned forward and placed a gentle, but powerful kiss on his stunned lips.

"Whoa!" Neal said, sitting up from the slouch against the armrest of the loveseat and reaching forward to slap a hand over his son's eyes.

"Dad!" Henry wailed, not wanting to miss this moment for the world.

Emma elbowed Neal in the ribs, forcing him to release Henry. "It's not like they're making out, Neal. Or making tacos," she snorted. It's just a kiss," she hissed next to his ear.

Belle drew away from Rumpelstiltskin's lips and smiled brightly up into his startled sable gaze.

He cradled her face in his hands, daring to hope. "Belle?"

Her smile widened and she kissed him again, "I love you, my brave, sexy beast."

"OKAY," Emma exclaimed, shooting to her feet uncomfortable with the turn of events...happy, but uncomfortable. "I think Neal and I will be taking a ride to the hospital to inform the staff that you won't be needing to return."

"Wait, what?" Neal said, confused as she grabbed his hand to drag him from the room.

Henry settled back in his chair, a satisfied smile curving his mouth. Belle leaned over and wrapped him in a warm embrace. "You, young man, butchered our story."

Henry shrugged noncommittally. "Yeah, but it was worth it to hear Gramps tell it in his own words," he smiled cheekily, happy that he could be a part of helping them find their happily ever after.

THE END


End file.
